Shloka 6
Prāyaścitta-vidhāna: Tapas, Dāna, Vrata, and Proportional Expiation (प्रायश्चित्तविधानम्)
अनादेशे जपो होम उपवासस्तथैव च । आत्मज्ञानं पुण्यनद्यो यत्र प्रायश्व॒ तत्परा:
anādeśe japo homa upavāsas tathaiva ca | ātmajñānaṁ puṇyanadyo yatra prāyaścitta-tatparāḥ ||
毗耶娑说：“若因某种行为而生过失，而经典未明定其专门赎罪之法，则通用的忏悔之道如下：诵持圣咒（japa）、火供献祭（homa）、斋戒、修习自知之慧（我知）、沐浴于圣河，并前往依止那些有众多贤善之人、勤修诵咒与火供等行持之处。此诸行能净化并生功德，洗除道德之垢，使人复归于法之正道。”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
When no specific expiation is prescribed for a particular fault, one should adopt general purificatory disciplines—japa, homa, fasting, self-knowledge, and holy bathing—along with keeping company with the virtuous who are devoted to such practices, thereby restoring moral clarity and alignment with dharma.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and conduct, Vyāsa explains to his listener(s) the category of ‘general’ prāyaścitta—remedies applicable when a text does not specify a particular penance for a given transgression.